2014 was a breakthrough year for marijuana

This was arguably the biggest year ever for the global marijuana policy reform movement.

In the US, voters in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, DC, joined Washington state and Colorado in legalizing marijuana for recreational use. In Uruguay, authorities began implementation of a landmark marijuana law and inspired neighbors to re-think drug policy. Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Ecuador this year began congressional debate on legalization or de-criminalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use.

“The movement made major gains,” says Mason Tvert, a spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, the largest organization working solely on marijuana policy reform in the United States. “And I think it tells you something that many of those who have propelled us to victories are young people.”

Shifting perceptions

Public opinion and political action have not always moved in lock-step on this issue. In Uruguay, for example, almost two in three Uruguayans want the marijuana law repealed.

In the US, however, marijuana legalization is supported by a bare majority—51%—of Americans and by 64% of those aged 18 to 34. But political support has lagged. To date, only one US senator has publicly endorsed marijuana legalization. Read More…